Joint Commission removing position statement on preventing nosocomial COVID-19 infections
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced August 19 that it is removing its position statement: "Preventing Nosocomial COVID-19 Infections as Organizations Resume Regular Care Delivery.” The guidance was written in May when COVID-19 cases in the US were declining, healthcare organizations were working to resume elective procedures and ambulatory care,…
Public health implications of chronic hospital nurse understaffing in COVID-19 era
Editor's Note This study by noted nurse researcher Linda Aiken, PhD, RN, FAAN, and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, finds that hospital nurses were burned out and working in understaffed conditions in the weeks preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, posing risks to the public’s health. The…
COVID-19 linked to dangerous lower extremity arterial thrombosis
Editor's Note This study from researchers at the Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, finds that COVID-19 is associated with large blood clots in the lower extremities and a significantly higher rate of amputation and death. In March and April 2020, 16 COVID-19-positive patients had…
ECRI Institute, ISMP launch new Patient Safety Organization
Editor's Note In an August 17 news release, the ECRI Institute and its affiliate, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), announced that they had launched a new Patient Safety Organization (PSO). The PSO is an important step in making medication, medical devices, and healthcare practices safer for patients across…
Study: Robust T-cell immunity found in those with asymptomatic, mild COVID-19
Editor's Note In this study from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, researchers found strong, long lasting immunity to COVID-19, even in those who were asymptomatic or developed only mild symptoms as well as those who did not test positive for antibodies. The researchers collected blood from more than 200…
CDC: Masks with exhalation valves, vents don’t prevent spread of COVID-19
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its face mask recommendations, warning that masks with built in exhalation valves or vents aren’t effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19. The purpose of masks is to keep respiratory droplets from reaching others. However, masks with one-way…
Joint statement provides guidance for maintaining essential surgery during COVID-19 pandemic
Editor's Note Four national organizations have released a joint statement on maintaining essential surgical procedures as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) reported on August 13. The joint statement from the ACS, American Society of Anesthesiologists, AORN, and American Hospital Association, provides a list of principles…
Joint Commission releases sentinel event stats for first half of 2020
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August 12 released its sentinel event statistics for the first half of 2020. From January 1 through June 30, the Joint Commission reviewed 437 sentinel events. The most frequently reported events were in the following categories: Care management, 165 Surgical or invasive procedures, 131…
Prevalence of COVID-19 infection in New York State HCWs
Editor's Note This study of healthcare workers (HCWs) in a tertiary New York State hospital finds that the rate of COVID-19 infection in HCWs is lower than what has been reported for the general public in the region. Of 3,046 HCWs, 1,699 had antibody testing, 617 had RT-PCR testing, and…
Gallup poll finds disinterest in receiving COVID-19 vaccine
Editor's Note A Gallup poll of US adults conducted from July 20 to August 2 finds that 35% of those surveyed would not be interested in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine when one is approved by the Food & Drug Administration. The survey also finds that 41% of non-white Americans would…
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